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And so the Six Nations ended as it had started, with Mauro Bergamasco throwing passes over everyone's head. For a spirited contributor to Italy for many years, these were a few weeks to forget.

Scotland somehow managed to improve with every game, from an admittedly low base against Wales, without winning anything other than the dirge against Italy. Given a minimum requirement of two victories, their coach, Frank Hadden, will no doubt be feeling the heat.

England really did improve with every passing game and the runners-up spot should remove Martin Johnson from the cross wires, although such a finish once cost Brian Ashton his job.

Wales are usually pretty easy on the eye, but theirs was a campaign of slipping standards and erratic behaviour. There is an interesting balance between finishing within seconds of a triple crown and ending up fourth in the table. Because it all went wrong, the audit in the house of the 2008 champions could well become spiteful.

Not so in the home of the new champions, for whom this championship will remain branded on the memory. Ireland weren't pretty, or adventurous, but there was nothing wrong with the levels of drama they served up in the games against France, England and, above all, Wales on the final day. New rugby, driven back into caution by law-makers who had quite the opposite in mind, survived thanks to the Ireland grand slam of 2009.

Their success confirmed the role of the coach as more important than that of the captain. Ireland's about-turn at the Millennium Stadium came straight after half-time, when Uncle Declan had a chance to reconfigure a few minds. Wales, too, came out of the changing room after half-time against England and immediately struck.

Having said that, the captains played their parts. Brian O'Driscoll was inspired throughout, the difference between Ireland and England, the single player who turned Wales-Ireland. Sergio Parisse was even more a one-man team for Italy. And a big hand for Steve Borthwick, who withstood a universal panning to emerge with reputation restored in England's last two games. It is all that a captain can do, simply call the battle cry and lead the way.

Coaches can change systems and tactics, which makes Nick Mallett look vulnerable. For all that Italy need a tier of competition higher than their domestic club championship to prepare players for the faster, more intense level of the Six Nations, there was still a specific deficiency in their play.

Their backs ran no more than a basic line of dummy runners in front of a blitz defence. There were no short passes to break up the pattern of the long, no changes of speed or direction, just Mirco Bergamasco charging ahead, willing as ever. Gonzalo Canale's attempts to break up the rhythms were not interpreted by his team-mates.

Nobody, though, pushed back the boundaries of three-quarter play. As it grows ever more confident in its professional shell, rugby finds more and more room for development in defence, the science of stopping the opposition. In the creative art of fooling such a defence, of breaching it, the answer used to lie in fatigue: strike when the tacklers are weaker.

But science and replacements have given defences the energy to run for the full 80 minutes. The odds on a 0–0 game in the Six Nations are much better than for a 46–44.

If defence rules and everything hinges on game-planning and sound nerves, then Ireland are the kings. They were outstanding at the lineout, with Paul O'Connell consummate on the final day. And they were able to reignite themselves – Ronan O'Gara, for example – when it seemed that, as is only natural, the occasion or the simple matter of form was taking its toll. A rousing cheer for the grand slam winners, then, and a raspberry for what the game has become.

Lost in action

This was not a Six Nations for the scrum. In the pursuit of keeping the ball-in-play numbers high referees gave free-kick after free-kick, rather then reset the scrum. There is a knock-on effect if two sets of eight do not use up vast numbers of calories by being forced to push. They have the energy to get in the way when they should be on their knees.

There was a villain in the Six Nations: Warren Gatland, for making too many changes for Wales's trip to Italy and for winding up Ireland before the showdown. Well, in this age of carefully controlled selections and statements, how refreshing to see a coach take some risks, put some life into the build-up and be prepared to say he got them wrong.

Paul O'Connell said that no Irishman would have done such a thing. Humility is too important for the Irish. Which sounds like a bit of a boast. Goodness knows, we need something to go back and forth between the camps other than aerial ping-pong.

And finally ... Gavin Henson. I have noted that he is your favourite target. Well, as long as he was in the centre on Saturday, Wales held the Irish midfield in check. When he moved to the back, O'Driscoll came to the fore. Our Gav is as bad at singing as Alun Wyn Jones is good, but he is still a very influential presence in the Wales midfield.

And finally, finally – the final last warning – on we move then to the Lions. Has it been a good championship for the coach who now moves into the limelight, Ian McGeechan? Round by round: yes, no, no, yes-no and then yes. A neutral Six Nations. Not the worst, not the best – unless you happen to think that an Ireland grand slam is one of the better things to have happened in the past 61 years.